Thursday, February 26, 2009

Who would not love the warm Jolada Rotti or Jonna Rotti with any special gravy for a warm wintery night??..Well, here is how you make a simple no fuss jolada rotti which is not very intimidating and an equally delicious Avarekalu-Erulli sambhar..

Jolada Rotti:1cup Jowar/maize flour1.5cups water

Take a heavy bottomed vessel and boil water. To this add the jowar flower close a lid. Switch off the flame after a minute. After2-3 minutes, mix the mixture well and cool a little till you can handle the mixture with your palm.Since making unbreakable rottis takes years of skill, I always make palm sized rottis which I can comfortably handlewithout any breaks..Wet your palms or even rub a tsp of butter or ghee. Take a golf ball sized mixture and knead well till there are no lumps and it is very smooth. spread it on one palm with the help of another hand. Shift this to a skillet on medium heat. The most important step to keep these rotis soft is to dip fingers in cold water and wet the top of the rotis. Now flip it when brown spots begin to appear and apply very little water on the other side and roast it till it is done.

Mix the ground paste with dall and the boiled avareklau and onion till all the flavours come togother. Add salt and season with hing,mustard and jeera..

Awards:

My friend Archy from http://www.archysrecipes.com/ has passed the 'You are a Sweet Heart' and the 'Circle of Friends' award which I have displayed on my side bar..Thanks for these awards Archy.. I would like to pass these to all my blogger friends who have visited and taken time to comment on this blog..

Monday, February 23, 2009

Malnadu SaaguThis is a very famous saagu in the regions of Malenadu..This is very nutrious with lots of vegetables and with layers of flavour..This is served in small containers called 'doppe's made with leaves of kohlrabi/navkolu/Noolkolu/Navilkosu. This is traditionally served with hot puris/chapatis or can be even thinned down and taken as soup..

You need:2 cups of vegetables (you can use a combination of kohlrabi/navilkosu, seemebadnekai/chayote, yam and carrots or any vegetables you like..) boil in a pressure cooker with little water or microwave with a cup of water till tender but firm.1onion chopped1tomato chopped2 serano peppers slit(optional)To grind:1tbsp channa dal1.5 tbsp urad dal2tbsp dhania seeds1inch cinnamon stick3cloves1moggu2tbsp poppy seeds5 green chilleshand ful of mint leaves (optional)2tbps dried coconut1red chilly

In a kadai, heat a tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients over medium heat till they leave a good aroma and well roasted and make a powder.. This powder can be stored and used in other curries as well.In a big thick vessel, heat a tsp of oil, add seasonings( mustard, jeera, and hing). Now add chopped onion and fry till translucent. Now add tomato and add a little salt and cook till the tomato is soft. Now add all the boiled vegetables with the water and mix well and boil for 5minutes. Now add 2tbsps of the ground masala powder, adjust the salt and boil till the desired consistency is reached.. ENJOY...

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Avarekai also known as Lilva bean or Cow Beans is a winter speciality..Generally harvested before Sankranti festival, this bean is very flavorful with a unique texture. In many parts of Karnataka, this bean graces many dishes ranging from Sambhar , dal, Upma, dosas, rottis, curries and even sweets.

Here is an authentic Rice bread made exclusively with avarekai and scallions. It is very delicious and very simple to make.

To make the Avarekalu rotti you need:1 cup boiled avarekai beans ( if you cannot find it, you can use lima beans or any other beans u like. If you find the dried beans, just dry roast them till they pop and boil them). Boil with 2 cups of water and do not strain the water.1 bunch of spring onions/scallions chopped1 cup chopped dhania leaves/cilantro2 medium red onions chopped2 cups rice flour1cup very sour yogurtGreen chilies –6-7Red chilly flakes (optional)Hing- 1tsp1tbsp jeera/cumin seedsA pinch of turmeric Salt to tasteGrated coconut (1/2 cup)

Method: Mix all the dry ingredients first and then add all the vegetables and coconut. Finally add yogurt and mix into a chapatti like soft dough. Cover and let it sit for 15mins. Now take a flat pan and smear with oil so that it wont stick. Also rub oil on ur finger tips, take a big orange sized ball of dough and spread on the flat pan gently with ur fingers so that it is equally spread in all directions. Spread it as thin as possible. On a medium flame roast this so that it cooks well. Add a tsp of oil around. Once golden spots begin to appear, Take it off from the stove and serve with a dollop of butter/ghee and any playa you like.

Cluster beans/Jawali kai kuttu playa Typically Rotti is served with this authentic Palya which is very healthy and delicious..This dish can be made both dry as well as a gravy version.

Method: Typically kuttu playa is made by pounding the raw beans till its broken and mushy. But we can drop it in a mixer or a food processor and pulse it for a few secons to do the same process. Microwave this mixture for 7mins with very little water till the beans are cooked

Take a Kadai and add all the seasonins in the oil. Now add the ground paste and fry for 3-4mins till all the besan cooks well. If you need a gravy version you can add water at this point or else, add the cooked mushy beans, add salt and mix well for 2-3minutes and serve. This can also be eaten with rice or chapatti.

Friday, February 6, 2009

“Akki Shavige” is a delicacy anywhere in Karnataka. People make this in many ways and no matter what spices you use, it tastes excellent. To make the Shavige itself is a big process but worth it. This is another favorite Udupi Tiffin generally served throughout the year. This dish is more special to me since it is unique from the regular Akki Shavige (Spiced Rice Noodles) and I am a big peanut fan... Try this simple dish and you will not be disappointed. It is Spicy, savoury, sweet and tangy..

You need:2 to 2.5 cups boiled rice noodles (you can use the instant rice noodles if you wish)1 chopped green pepper/capsicum2 Serrano peppers chopped (you can use 5-6 green chillies instead)1 medium onion chopped ( I prefer white or yellow onion for this one)½ cup roasted coarse ground unsalted peanuts (Again use the store brought roasted peanuts if u wish, they taste equally great)2 tsps Menthyada hittu (this is a spiced powder generally made by roasting different dals together and grinding it) –If you don’t have this, you may use the regular besan with a pinch of red chilly powder mixed in it.Juice of a lime

In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the rest of the seasonings and fry for a minute. Now when the dals turn slightly golden, add the green chillies and add onions immediately. Fry for a minute or 2 till they are translucent. We do not want to caramelize the onions. Now add the green pepper and fry for 3minutes till it gets slightly soft. To this add the besan or the menthyada hittu and mix well. Now add the peanut powder, mix well and cover the kadai with a lid. After 3minutes, mix everything well, add salt and now switch of the stove. Add the boiled noodles and make sure you mix very well. This is the most important step. Finally when all the noodles are coated with this peanut mixture, add lime juice and serve..

Traditionally this can be had with coconut chutney but tastes equally good standalone..